Phoenix auto detail shop owner wants out of agreement with credit card processing company

PHOENIX (AZFamily) —Anthony Perez owns and operates an auto detail shop in the bottom of a Phoenix office tower. “Most people work 8 to 5. So today, we’ve got about three cars here that employees have dropped them off,” Anthony told On Your Side. “They go up, and they work, and then they’ll pick them up and we’re here till five so.”

Anthony says business is good, and for 95% of his customers, he simply emails them a bill for them to pay him. “We submit invoices to our customers. They pay online, and that’s how we do most of our billing.”

Most business owners like Anthony have to pay a small fee to a credit card processing company for every transaction, and Anthony says that can add up.

So, when a company called Synergy Payment Solutions told Anthony they could do it for a lot cheaper and save him money, he signed up.

“And the new processing system was working pretty well, right?” On Your Side’s Gary Harper asked. Anthony replied, “Yeah. No problems with the actual software. Invoices were being paid just fine. The issue came when they had sent equipment which I didn’t request.”

The equipment is a credit card processor that Anthony says he was apparently leasing for $3,120 over the next four years.

However, Anthony says he doesn’t need physical equipment because he says all transactions are paid online by his customers. “Not only do we not need the equipment, but we don’t get very good Wi-Fi signal down here, which is what’s needed to operate the system itself.”

Anthony says he tried explaining his situation numerous times to Synergy Payment Solutions, and when he refused to pay to lease the equipment he didn’t need, he says he found himself in collections.

So, On Your Side got involved and asked Synergy Payment Solutions to look into the issue. The company responded by saying they reportedly resolved the issue back in February.

“Synergy agreed to close the account as well as his equipment agreement.” They said, “We are deeply sorry to Mr. Perez and his company for any inconvenience this has caused him.”

But Anthony says if Synergy Payment Solutions really canceled, then why wasn’t he told to return the equipment? Why is he in collections? At the very least, why wasn’t he notified?

Anthony hopes the ordeal is over, as the company claims it is, and he’s glad On Your Side is involved.

“I mean, I think (On Your Side) it’s great. I mean, I think what you guys are doing is fantastic. “To have somebody that can, you know, speak on behalf of those that are involved in these types of situations, I think, is a huge benefit.”

On Your Side appreciates Synergy Payment Solutions’ involvement. Their entire, unedited statement is below:

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